Hue Travel invests for localised tourism products

2011-01-18 (GMT + 7)

Tourism is a leading economic sector of Hue province and contributes about 45 percent to the province’s income. The tourism advertisement in 2011 is aimed to popularise the image of country, people and tourism products in Hue, promote the value of best destination brand and unique Hue travel products, and to lay a stepping stone for the implementation of tourism development plans in 2012.

Reporter of the Vietnam Business Forum Magazine has an interview with Mr Nguyen Quoc Thanh, Deputy Director of the Thua Thien - Hue Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.Why does Hue launch tourism promotion programme so early?Hue often starts its tourism promotion activities quite early in the year. The programme is launched at the start of the year rather after Lunar New Year as in previous years. We do it earlier in 2011 because we want to introduce Hue’s unique tourism products to visitors and prepare for the National Tourism Year 2012 to be held in Thua Thien - Hue. Thus, our works start sooner this year. The province will hold tourism promotion conferences in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City - two largest cities of Vietnam travel - to continue popularise the image of country, people and tourism products in Hue, and promote the value of best destination brand and unique tourism products. At these conferences, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Thua Thien - Hue will present plans to organise the National Tourism Year in 2012 in the province.

To prepare for the National Tourism Year 2012, what are remarkable Vietnam tour products to be introduced by the province?Biggest tourism products of Thua Thien Hue are cultural products. Although these cultural products have become our brand, the attractiveness will lessen if they are not changed or improved. The tourism potentiality of Thua Thien Hue is huge but from the potential to a real product is a process and requires a huge investment in infrastructure and building products.

The Provincial People’s Committee is instructing the construction of infrastructure and wharfs in Tam Giang Lagoon to receive tourist boats. This is the largest brackish water lagoon in Southeast Asia with an area of about 22,000 ha of water surface. The province can develop many attractive localised tourism products, especially community-based tourism products which are catching the fancy of travel operators.

Besides, tourists can discover the nature of the lagoon. The province is focusing on building this tour, thus, it will be very different from others.

Sea tourism is also a strength of the province. How has Thua Thien Hue tapped this resource to attract visitors?The tourism industry is also focusing on developing marine tourism because this is a strength of the province. The current matter is how to build unprecedented maritime tourism products to attract visitors. Thua Thien - Hue is working with Singapore to study, plan and invest in building new infrastructures which are near to completion now. We are also calling investors to build resorts along Hue like nearly US$500 million Logona Resort. In the coming time, Lang Co, Phu Loc and Canh Duong projects will be completed to bring more attractive products to both domestic and international holidaymakers.